Dispenser and stack of sheet products

Abstract

A dispenser and a stack combination. The stack is a stack of interfolded webs wherein the lines of weakness of one web are offset from the lines of weakness of another web in a longitudinal direction, and the stack including at least two webs, the webs including: a first web ( 1 ) divided into individual hygiene products by means of lines of weakness ( 12 ); and a second web ( 2 ) divided into individual hygiene products by means of lines of weakness ( 22 ); the first web and the second web being interfolded with one another so as to form a nested configuration, wherein the first web and the second web are joined, at a joint, to one another at a leading portion ( 4 ) and/or at a trailing portion ( 4 ″) of the web.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A dispenser, comprising:
 at least one stack of interfolded webs, wherein the stack comprises at least two webs, including: 
 a first elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the first web; and 
 a second elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the second web; 
 wherein the webs are interfolded to form the stack so that the lines of weakness of the first web are offset from the lines of weakness of the second web in a longitudinal direction of the first web; 
 a housing defining a product reservoir, wherein the at least one stack of interfolded webs is contained in the product reservoir; 
 a dispensing opening at a front of the housing, wherein the housing comprises a front wall forming a front wall of the product reservoir, wherein the front wall has a front surface facing the front of the housing, and a rear surface facing a rear of the housing, wherein the front surface of the front wall is revealed by opening a refill door of the dispenser; 
 wherein a leading portion of the webs of the stack is supported in a dispensing path from the product reservoir to the dispensing opening; 
 wherein the weight of the stack is downwardly oriented to bare against a bottom of the stack and the leading portion of the first and second webs extends from a top of the stack, 
 wherein the webs extend upwardly from the top of the stack, are supported at a guide portion disposed above the dispensing opening and having a curved apex portion followed by a substantially planar portion along the dispensing path, and then extend downwardly to the dispensing opening, with respect to a dispensing direction along the dispensing path, 
 wherein a first nip is provided at or adjacent the dispensing opening that engages opposing major surfaces of the webs, wherein the first nip has a first nip part and a second nip part, wherein the dispensing path extends between the first nip part and the second nip part, 
 further comprising a second nip along a dispensing path traversed by the leading portion of the webs from the product reservoir to the first nip, wherein the second nip engages opposed major surfaces of the webs, 
 wherein the apex portion of the dispensing path is positioned above the top of the product reservoir and the dispensing opening is positioned below the top of the product reservoir, 
 wherein the second nip is provided at the apex portion of the dispensing path. 
 
     
     
       2. A dispenser, comprising:
 at least one stack of interfolded webs, wherein the stack comprises at least two webs, including:
 a first elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the first web; and 
 a second elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the second web; 
 wherein the webs are interfolded to form the stack so that the lines of weakness of the first web are offset from the lines of weakness of the second web in a longitudinal direction of the first web; 
 
 a housing defining a product reservoir, wherein the at least one stack of interfolded webs is contained in the product reservoir; 
 a dispensing opening at a front of the housing; 
 wherein a leading portion of the webs of the stack is supported in a dispensing path from the product reservoir to the dispensing opening; 
 wherein the weight of the stack is downwardly oriented to bare against a bottom of the stack and the leading portion of the first and second webs extends from a top of the stack, 
 wherein the webs extend upwardly from the top of the stack, are supported at an apex portion of the dispensing path and then extend downwardly to the dispensing opening, with respect to a dispensing direction along the dispensing path, 
 wherein a first nip is provided at or adjacent the dispensing opening that engages opposing major surfaces of the webs, wherein the first nip has a first nip part and a second nip part, wherein the dispensing path extends between the first nip part and the second nip part 
 the dispenser comprising a second nip along a dispensing path traversed by the leading portion of the webs from the product reservoir to the first nip, wherein the second nip engages opposed major surfaces of the webs, 
 wherein the apex portion of the dispensing path is positioned above the top of the product reservoir and the dispensing opening is positioned below the top of the product reservoir, 
 wherein the second nip is provided at the apex portion of the dispensing path, 
 wherein a guide member defining the apex portion of the dispensing path from the product reservoir to the dispensing opening forms one part of the second nip engaged against one major surface of the webs and a second part of the nip opposed to first part of the nip engages the opposed major surface of the webs to thereby grasp the web at the apex portion of the dispensing path. 
 
     
     
       3. The dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the housing comprises a front wall that partly covers a front side of the stack of interfolded webs and is partly open to allow access to the front side of the stack. 
     
     
       4. The dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the dispensing opening is at a front of the housing, wherein the front wall forms a front wall of the product reservoir, wherein the front wall has a front surface facing the front of the housing, and a rear surface facing a rear of the housing, wherein the front surface of the front wall is revealed by opening a refill door of the dispenser. 
     
     
       5. The dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the housing comprises a front wall forming a front wall of the product reservoir, wherein the front wall has a front surface facing the front of the housing, and a rear surface facing a rear of the housing, wherein the front surface of the front wall is revealed by opening a refill door of the dispenser. 
     
     
       6. A dispenser, comprising:
 at least one stack of interfolded webs, wherein the stack comprises at least two webs, including:
 a first elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the first web; and 
 a second elongate web divided into sheet products defined between longitudinally separated lines of weakness extending across the second web; 
 wherein the webs are interfolded to form the stack so that the lines of weakness of the first web are offset from the lines of weakness of the second web in a longitudinal direction of the first web; 
 
 a housing defining a product reservoir, wherein the at least one stack of interfolded webs is contained in the product reservoir; 
 a dispensing opening; 
 wherein a leading portion of the webs of the stack is supported in a dispensing path from the product reservoir to the dispensing opening; 
 wherein the weight of the stack is downwardly oriented to bare against a bottom of the stack and the leading portion of the first and second webs extends from a top of the stack, 
 wherein the webs extend upwardly from the top of the stack, are supported at an apex portion of the dispensing path and then extend downwardly to the dispensing opening, with respect to a dispensing direction along the dispensing path, 
 wherein the dispenser is configured so that a preceding stack in the product reservoir has to be lifted up in the product reservoir to position a new, succeeding stack in the product reservoir underneath the preceding stack, 
 wherein the product housing comprises a front wall that partly covers a front side of the stack of interfolded webs and is partly open, forming an access opening, to allow access to the front side of the stack, 
 wherein the access opening extends from a bottom of the product reservoir to a height that is at least 25% of a height of the product reservoir in a stacking direction.